The almost unlimited flexibility in design is one of the major advantages of foil-covered keyboards. As a result, the design engineer can freely set the number of keys, their position and their shape on the device. Then there is the equally wide selection of graphical designs for the user interface. Foil-covered keyboards as mechanical switching elements firstly offer thin metal dome switches. Secondly, the switching mechanism works when the foil surface contacts the switching film below. Foil-covered keyboards are normally glued into place without a great deal of effort to integrate them within systems.
The variety of additional functions and properties that can be combined with foil-covered keyboards are what make them an attractive proposition. Coatings that repel biocides or liquids, different lighting options, capacity sensor elements or a double contact function are all available.